5 Life Lessons From The 'World's Coolest Mayor'

In mid-2009 Jon Gnarr was an Icelandic comedian and punk-rock singer far removed from any political aspirations or office. By mid-2010, however, he was Mayor of Iceland’s capital and largest city, Reykjavík. He recently spoke in New York for the Hudson Union Society about his fascinating story. Here are five important lessons that we can learn from him for our business and personal lives:

1. Take every person seriously – When he announced his candidacy, Gnarr was not considered a serious candidate, never mind a viable contender for mayor. Months later he was sitting in the mayor’s seat. Likewise, other political novices, including a fellow singer, who ran on Gnarr’s party line, won seats on Reykjavik’s City Council. In truth so called “dark horses” win far more often than people realize. Jesse Ventura proved that here in the United States, as did, to a certain extent, Barack Obama. Remember how so many pundits initially dismissed his candidacy against Hillary Clinton for the 2008 Democratic nomination as a “long shot?” The same is true in other areas of life. Many people who have been told that they will never succeed in a particular profession turn out to be star performers (for some great examples see this infographic). Never discount or dismiss people. Sometimes they will surprise you. In a big way.

2. Understand how public sentiment creates opportunity – the financial crisis of 2008 hit Iceland hard, and the nation’s citizens naturally blamed government officials for the mismanagement that led to the debacle. The set of circumstances created by an overwhelming sense of public disapproval created a unique opportunity that Gnarr successfully exploited, but which established politicians from major parties failed to perceive. Despite polls showing Gnarr gaining momentum and popularity, the Icelandic Prime Minister admitted to having been shocked that Gnarr was elected; she should not have been.

3. Satire can often convey feelings more powerfully than straightforward marketing, especially to an audience pre-disposed to believe, and sympathize with, the underlying message. While campaigning, Gnarr explicitly stated that since politicians do not keep their campaign promises he would promise people whatever each voter wanted, since, like every other politician, he would never have to deliver on his commitments. He also made facetious promises that reminded voters of their discontent with elected officials – for example, promising to make the Icelandic parliament drug free within a decade. This satirical approach negated the messages of other candidates by undermining their credibility; anything that they said – right or wrong – was simply dismissed by many as political pandering from untrustworthy people. Gnarr even extended the satire to the name of his political party, calling it “The Best Party;” campaigning for votes by saying “We are the Best party.” His calculated mockery put him in sync with people’s true, deep-rooted feelings. It paid off.

4. Any particular novelty happens only once – As Gnarr noted when he spoke in New York, the novelty of the Best Party as being “outside of politics” ended the day it was elected. In a second election both he and his party would have been the establishment, not a force seeking dramatic change. Perhaps for that reason, Gnarr chose to leave office after only one term and not to seek re-election.

5. Have fun! When he spoke in New York, Gnarr repeatedly stressed that while he did not expect when he launched his campaign that he would actually be elected to office, he did expect the campaign process to be fun, and, fun is what he and his team members were having throughout most of the process. Gnarr admitted that at one point, when that spirit was threatened, he nearly dropped out of the race – so he redoubled his efforts to succeed and enjoy. Once elected, he continued to add "fun" to the office of the mayor: dressing as a Jedi to vote, wearing a pink suit, and going in drag to the Pride parade -- among many other things. There are going to be many obstacles and hurdles in life and in business –– so make sure you are enjoying the process; happiness is a strong motivator to keep going.